Give Favre talk a break

Todd Korth

02/20/2006

Nobody knows what direction quarterback is leaning

Ask 10 people if Brett Favre will return to play football next season and you'll likely get a split right down the middle. Five will say, ‘Yes, he'll return.' Five will say, ‘No, he'll retire.' Troy Aikman was the latest to chime in on Favre's "Tractor Watch," saying he'll retire. Last week, Packers president Bob Harlan said that he feels Favre will return. The fact is, nobody knows what Favre will do but Favre.

Until the quarterback makes up mind about football, it's time to let the subject rest. It's getting old. Give the Favre talk a break and go sledding, or ice skating. Watch some basketball, or the Olympics, or gold, or NASCAR. When Favre is good and ready, he'll make a decision on what he wants to do. Hopefully the sooner the better, so the Packers can better prepare for free agency and the NFL draft.

Aikman, contacted by a reporter in Daytona Beach, Fla, said yesterday, "I'd hate to see him retire. But I know that going out and having seasons like what he went through this past year is really frustrating and it just isn't much fun. So I don't know what he's going to do. I think the fact that he is having a hard time making the decision, in some ways, to me, that kind of has made the decision for him."

Of course, Aikman, a television analyst for Fox, hasn't spoken with Favre since the end of the season but is one of several high-profile former quarterbacks Favre has asked for advice on retirement.

Aikman also went on to say, "I don't know then if you ever get back to the level of 100 percent commitment to say, 'Yeah, this is what I want to do,"' Aikman said. "Because usually what happens is that no matter how good your season is, you always go through periods where it's a struggle. The best years we had, with our Super Bowls, we had periods where things were tight. When you're not 100 percent committed, then when you hit those periods, and you're asking yourself, 'Why am I doing this?' And I don't know if you can have your quarterback asking some of those questions."

Is Aikman really one for Favre to seek advice? Wasn't he forced to leave football because of a handful of concussions that he sustained near the end of his career. It was difficult for him to walk away despite the fact that he was risking serious injury if he had continued to play. Favre is in good health, much better than Aikman was at the end of his career, so it is difficult to believe that Favre will walk away from football when he is physically capable to play.

It appears that the big hang-up with Favre is whether the Packers truly want him back in Green Bay. I believe that Favre would be content to play for another team, but knows it will be awkward leaving Green Bay both for him and the organization. Of course, this is my gut feeling, like Aikman and Harlan. Few people have spoken with Favre since the end of last season, so few truly know what will happen.

Until it does, let's give it a rest.

Todd Korth

Todd Korth is managing editor of PackerReport.com and Packer Report. E-mail him at packrepted@aol.com.